The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-10
WHO sLANDER HlMq


II Il Certain, from the Testimony Given
Below, That the Actual Settlers Are Not
Opposing Land Commissioner Sparks.
Land Commissioner Sparks is at tho
bat, and his inning against the timber
the Territories will show up his case
and his rulings in far different light
than the organs of monopoly have
"panoramaed" them to the people of the
country, by means of manufactured
letters from reputed home-seekers and
homesteaders in the West. The
letters which denounced Sparks and
which were published in the sub
sidized organs of the cattle barons were
not from farmers, nor home
steaders, nor home-seekers. They
were from land speculators who lived
east, west, north and south, and who
were represented in the Territories by
proxy. Since the fight on him by the
corporations and the syndicates began
Sparks has been deluged with letters
from actual settlers who indorse every
ruling he has made. And these letters
are now finding their way into print to
the great chagrin and discontinue of
the men and the rings who have been
making war upon him. The letters
are signed by the writer's, who give
their proper post-office address, and
who invite correspondence with the
friends of the fault-finders. Below we
give few sentiments which are ex-
pressed in the letters from different
sections which have suffered, as the
organs have said, from Sparks rulings:
''Your order Of Arpfl g. 1885 meets with the
spprobation of all good citizens in this land
Cd. T.) Of golden grain" Stand by it-'venti-
late the frauds" "Your order works no hard
ship on the honest sestler-it is the rascal that
objects to the inconvenience.of having his vii
lainy investigated" sYour order is no detri-
ment or disadvantage to tho poorer classes"-
'tthe bulk of our bona fde settlers''-s1t is
their salvation" "Yorf orders have met with
the approval Of every bona fde resident
''keep on with the work you have so nobly in
augurated." .srhe pe2cG of this vicinity Weld
'sWe feel great pride 1tthe fearless and fair
administration PLand Department."
"Your rulings are move in the right direction,
fully one-fourth Of al; land claims in
this -, district Gu,oa 2 - are more moro
it make whether lands are patented
in one or ten years 10 people hon
estly seeking homes, 1t is only the land
thieves who fight against you" 'The actual
farmers are not afraid OF any decisions you have
rendered" 1--WE farmers do indorse your ac-
tions and decisions and will stand by you"
1--WE, the farmers and citizens of Brookings and
Moody Counties, D. T., join in declaring your
rulings just and proper and for the best protec-
tion of farmers and actual settlers, but bitter
dose to those residing in towns and holding
u AT ia l.
work, as this question of homes for our chill
dren will absorb our action in the near future :"
'sKeep up your hcks." ST have had my final re-
ceipt for over year, but do not growl at your
not issuing patents" STAND by your rulings;
no honest man is complaining; only the rogues
are hurt" "You hit the nail on the head, and,
judging from the way the agents and attorneys
squirm, you hit it hard" 'Give the honest
poor man a chance" ''The money loaners and
land thieves are the only ones who howl
1t takes time, patience and persever-
ance to catch and corner thief when
the scoundrel sought has been given
substantial outside assistance, but they
are generally caught and. sometimes
punished. Sparks has been derided
and lied about in the public prints more
than any other official in the Govern
ment service. Those who have derided
and lied about him are the agents, the
attorneys and the principals, who have
been obliged to loosen their fraudulent
grips on large and small slices of the
public domain. Literally he has not
been crushed to earth, but he is rising
again in the popular esteem he enjoyed
before the cattle barons and the land
agents took an inning against him.
Des Moi,aes Leader.